Sportshour

How is horse racing coping amidst the coronavirus pandemic? On Saturday Tiger Roll should have been aiming to win a third Grand National in a row but the race was called off last month. The BBC's racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght and the Grand National winning trainer Lucinda Russell joined us to share their feelings on the morning the race should have gone ahead and to discuss how the sport is coping in the absence of racing.Travails on the Tennis Tour: In the week that Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since the second world war we spoke to world number 375 Sofia Shapatava about the realities of life below the elite level. She tells us lower ranked players are struggling to pay their rent and essential bills and how she has started a petition asking the sport's authorities to provide players with financial support. From carrying clubs to carrying parcels: European tour Caddie Oliver Briggs is stranded at his parents house in England due to the coronavirus lockdown. He told us about missing lif

Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics moves by a year - what happens next? We devote the first half of the programme to an in-depth look at this week's decision to postpone Tokyo 2020 by a year. We cross to Japan's capital city to hear how the decision has been received and to discuss the challenges they face in staging a delayed games. Canada's double Olympic champion, Rosie MacLennan, tells us postponement rather than cancellation was the right thing to do but admits it will spell the end for a number of people's Olympic Dreams. We chat to multiple Paralympic champion Richard Whitehead and the BBC's athletics commentator Ed Harry.No Formula 1, No Problem - The first EIGHT races of the 2020 Formula 1 season have now either been cancelled or postponed due to coronavirus pandemic. To get around a lack of racing some of the sports' drivers have been taking part in online racing in the F1 Esports Series. We speak to McLaren driver Lando Norris on "crashing" in Bahrain, his friendship with Max Verstappen and how he's se

After another week of sporting event cancellations, we bring you the latest on the impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on global sport. This week we discuss the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and how Formula 1 has been effected. We take a look at how the crisis is having an impact on the NBA, where players are being tested for the virus without struggle, in stark comparison to the American public.Also this week we talk to former international New Zealand netballer Catherine Latu, who is trapped under lockdown in Italy. Together with her husband, Jimmy, who plays for Italy’s national rugby union side and their baby son Bash. We speak to Catherine about the realities of life under lockdown.Plus we hear from Fifpro on how footballers across the world are being affected and speak to Hull KR owner Neil Hudgell on the future of Rugby League. And we reflect on the new AFL season in Autsralia which got underway behind closed doors this week, with public opinion split due to the coronavirus outbreak.Photo: A man with

This week the International Sporting Calendar has been decimated by the Coronovirus. From Basketball in the United States to Cricket in India to Formula One in Australia and everything in between. All cancelled or postponed. So as the world battens down the hatches on Sportshour we look at the sporting impact financially and socially. We hear from Australian cyclist Nathan Haas who was tested negative for Coronavirus but was in quarantine for a week. He tells us what it was like and how he kept himself occupied. He also tells us about how he will be preparing for the Tour De France and the Olympics. Also this week we meet two of six African American Women who represent the USA in the sevens version of the game and will be doing so in Tokyo later this year.Photo: Wolverhampton Wanderer's’ trip to Olympiacos where they played behind closed doors (Credit: Getty images) Plus we hear from Bethany Hamilton who was attacked by a shark when she was thirteen. One month later she returned to the sport she loved.... Su

As sporting events are cancelled and postponed because of Coronavirus we assess the possible effect on athletes with sport researchers Lauren Keaney and Dr Deb Dulson from the Auckland University of Technology. After cancelling their racing activities for two weeks Dr Serge Niamke, head of Astana Cycling's medical team, tells us if the Olympics, Giro d'Italia or Tour de France were next week he would be advising his athletes not to compete. Australian Paralympic Wheelchair racer Madison de Rozario tells us what it means to have a doll created in her likeness as part of Barbie's 'Shero' series.Former Two-weight world champion boxer Carl Frampton opens up about his sliding doors moment, his hopes the sport can help young offenders in his hometown take a new path and why a 'massive funeral' is pushing him to win a title in a third weight division. USA's Molly Seidel tells us how turning down professional contracts and taking time away from competitive running helped her qualify for the Olympics in her first mara

Sportshour looks ahead to the Olympics in Tokyo and whether the recent outbreak of Coronavirus will prevent the tournament from happening. With several other sporting events cancelled, will the spread of the virus get under control in time?We'll be talking about emerging motor sport Formula E. A series that's been in contention since 2011 but with climate change a growing concern, how do the 'greener' electric cars of Formula E compare with Formula 1?The women's T20 Cricket World Cup is underway in Australia. We'll be taking a look at the remarkable story of Thailand and how they made it to the tournament.And we catch up with tennis great Roger Federer to find out more about his charity the Roger Federer Foundation and the work that they have been doing across Africa.Photo: Woman wears face mask in Tokyo amid Coronavirus fears (Getty Images)

Sportshour is in Las Vegas ahead of the eagerly anticipated heavyweight boxing rematch between American Deontay Wilder and Britain's Tyson Fury. The last fight ended in a controversial draw, so will there be a clear winner this time?The Women's T20 Cricket World Cup is underway in Australia. We'll be live in Perth to bring you the latest stories from the tournament.It is also the start of the UK netball season - we hear the remarkable story of Team Bath's Summer Artman, who was diagnosed with arthritis when she was seven years old but never let it stop her from achieving her sporting dreams.And we remember the Manchester United legend Harry Gregg, who sadly passed away aged 87. Gregg was one of the survivors of the Munich air disaster in 1958 that killed 21 people on board - including seven Manchester United players. Gregg rescued United team mates Sir Bobby Charlton and Dennis Viollet from BEA Flight 609, as well as a 20-month-old baby and her badly injured, pregnant mother.(Photo: Tyson Fury and Deontay Wil

As Israel Folau looks set to make his Rugby League debut for the Catalan Dragons, we hear from Keegan Hirst, who in 2015 became the first British pro player to come out as gay.The French side attracted widespread criticism for signing the player after he was sacked by Rugby Australia for a social media post saying hell awaited gay people. With no sign in sight to the end of Coronavirus, we take a look at the effect it’s had on the sporting calendar, where a number of events across multiple sports have been postponed.We meet two of six African American Women who represent the USA in the sevens version of the game… and will be doing so in Tokyo later this year.Photo: Catalans Dragons’ Israel Folau takes part in his first training session with the club (Credit: AFP)

On the 12th February 2010, the eve of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili suffered a fatal crash whilst on a practice run – just hours before the opening ceremony was due to take place. Terrance Kosikar was the first responder on the scene. While he had been trained to save people’s lives throughout his career, he was never prepared for the emotional trauma of dealing with a fatality. Terrance went into a downward spiral as he suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome and severe depression, which led to him trying to take his own life on several occasions. But thankfully he found a way out – through the great outdoors. Terrance now runs the Camp My Way project in Canada, which takes people suffering from similar mental health issues on camping adventures in the Canadian mountains. He tells Caroline Barker what he remembers of that tragic day 10 years ago and how the Camp My Way initiative and his other campaigns are helping to continue Nodar’s legacy. SUPER ‘DOG’ BOWL 54Pa

Sportshour comes from Miami this week for a special show ahead of one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Super Bowl 54 will see the Kansas City Chiefs take on San Francisco 49ers for NFL's biggest prize.And we're here to bring you all the excitement before the big match.Photo: Hard Rock stadium, Miami (Getty Images)

Some of the biggest names in the tennis world have made donation pledges to the Bushfire Appeal – we’ll be live in Melbourne with the BBC’s Tennis Correspondent Russell Fuller where we hear how the opening week of the Grand Slam has gone, especially as the build up to the tournament was dominated by the air quality. We hear from Alexander Zverev who vows to donate all his prize money if he wins the tournament and how the bad boy of tennis, Nick Krygios is starting to win fans over in his home country.One of Australia’s top sporting stars tells the BBC why she is so passionate on climate change and why she decided to move to England to join Chelsea. The Australian international holds the all-time goalscoring records in both the American and Australian leagues, aged just 26. She’s been telling the BBC’s Jo Currie why England and the Women’s Super League is becoming popular around the world.A few months ago, Mollie Hughes couldn't ski but she is now the youngest woman to ski solo to the South Pole, it took a gru

Australian Open Tennis organisers have been criticised all week for their decision to play the event’s qualifying tournament in conditions which several players have argued were hazardous to their health. Were the players in this week’s qualifiers treated the same as bigger name players in the main draw would have been if this all happened a week later? What happens if poor air quality does impact the opening week of the year’s first Grand Slam? Our Correspondent, Russell Fuller, brings us the latest on the air quality. We’ll also speak to sports journalist, Chris Mitchell, a familiar face and voice across the BBC and now on the ABC in Australia. While most of us were enjoying Christmas and New Year holidays, Chris spent the start of January protecting a farm belonging to his family. Watching the skies, worrying about the wind direction and doing all he could to protect his in-laws’ home and the neighbouring ones too. ‘And Cue!’Alexandra Palace in north London is famous for hosting major events – includ

We head to Lausanne, Switzerland for day 3 of the Winter Youth Olympics.In the NFL we get a little closer to the Super Bowl this weekend as the Divisional Rounds take place. With the old guard of Brady and Brees now out can two of the sports brightest young stars Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson inch their teams closer to the championship? And we are joined by former marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe as she helps promote the growth of female runners in the Middle East at the Muscat Marathon in Oman. Photo: Action from day one of the Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne, Switzerland

This weekend on Sportshour we preview the FA Cup third round. It is a weekend for heroes and villains, giant killings and upsets and the little clubs putting one over on the big boys. One club which will be hoping to do just that is AFC Fylde who are in the fifth division of English football; they play Premier League high-flyers Sheffield United and we speak to their chairman about their hopes in the competition.This weekend all of the FA Cup ties will be delayed by one minute to encourage fans to ‘Take A Minute’ to think about looking after their mental health, as part of the Heads Up campaign. We speak to former Premier League footballer Marvin Sordell who retired last season citing mental health reasons about why this campaign is so important.We remember the former head of US Basketball, David Stern, who died this week at the age of 77. Stern was the NBA's commissioner for 30 years and was also credited with launching a women's NBA, advancing the rights for black players and helping to change attitudes to

We look back at our favourite moments from Sportshour over the past year and relive some of the best bits.Photo: Alex Morgan of the USA runs with the ball during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. (Credit:Getty Images)

On this week's Sportshour we hear from one of the world's most recognizable footballers - Megan Rapinoe. In July she captained the US team to another World Cup victory and won the golden boot as the tournaments top scorer. She also picked up the two most prestigious individual awards the game has to offer; the FIFA best and the Ballon D'Or. She tells us about how she has used her new found profile to lead the fight for equality in sport in terms of racism, gender and sexuality. It is the final of the Club World Cup and Flamengo of Brazil take on Liverpool of the English Premier League to find out who will be crowned the best club football side in the World. We go live to Qatar to preview the match.Beitar Jerusalem is one of the biggest football clubs in Israel but it is infamous for the behaviour of some of its fans towards Muslims. They've been repeatedly sanctioned for it's abuse of Muslim opponents but we hear how thanks to a new owner, the club is determined to change their reputation.Who is better? Brad

Test Cricket returns to Pakistan after ten years of absence, as the country take on Sri Lanka - we bring you live coverage from the match. We are also bringing you live updates from Pakistan Women vs England Women.We discuss the World Club Championship that are taking place in Qatar; a competition between the champions of the footballing continents, with the likes of European Champions Liverpool and Copa Libetadoris winner Flimengo entering the competition next week.We are live from the Allianz Arena where Bayern Munich take on Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga. Photo: Pakistan's cricket team members listen to national anthem before the start of the first day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka (Getty Images)

Saturday sees the much anticipated heavyweight title rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, it's being billed as the Clash on the Dunes. Ruiz became the first heavyweight champion in boxing history of Mexican descent when he caused one of the greatest upsets by beating Joshua in New York. Eight months on, the British superstar looks to regain his WBA, IBF and WBO titles in what is being described as a career defining fight for Joshua. The actual location of the fight has attracted criticism from Human Rights Groups, we hear the concerns from Amnesty International on why sporting athletes should be aware of the country’s poor human rights record. However, the Saudi Sports Minister has outlined his vision to make Saudi Arabia the home of live sport with many other high profile events being staged in that part of the world and how they are making progress to their poor record. We’ll also be live in Saudi Arabia with our reporter Ade Adedoyin.It's not every week we get to speak

We preview the Euro 2020 draw which takes place in one of the host nations Romania and look at how the country is gearing up for the tournament next year.(Photo: The logo for the UEFA European Championship football competition (L) is displayed next to the Euros trophy (R) during a launch event in London. Credit: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

Women’s Football Casey Stoney manager of the Manchester United women’s team gives us a reality check on how far the women’s game has come, what it needs to grow and why it’s not realistic to compare it to the men’s game.Para Championships We’re live in Doha as the World Para Championships come to an end. We’ll have all the latest action on the track and look ahead to the Paralympics in Tokyo in 2020.Men’s Football It’s international break week and we’re live in Helsinki as Finland look to qualify for their first ever major championships. Plus we travel to the South Atlantic and Saint Helena, one of the smallest countries to play international football, having sent its first ever team overseas to compete in the Inter Games last summer.Photo: Casey Stoney, Manager of Manchester United Women looks on prior to the FA Women's Championship match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United (Getty Images)